Ahhh rabbies! (cat lovers/owners, help!)

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>hey everyone, haven't posted here in a while (i've been around the SAT prep section more =D)</p>

<p>anyway, recently my brother agreed to take care of his friend's cat because the friend and her family are going to florida until sunday. because the cat couldn't be taken on the trip, my brother (being as noble and angelic he is......<em>cough</em> lol) said he'd take care of it with my help.</p>

<p>so my brother agreed, my parents resented, and i supported my brother and was excited about it. i love pets (especially cats) and thought this would be a good opportunity to experience some sort of quality time with one.</p>

<p>well, there wasn't much quality time.....</p>

<p>my mom isn't allowing the cat anywhere else in the house BUT in the basement. now, don't get me wrong. there's plenty of light in the basement, air circulation, and its not too cold or too hot. the problem isn't there, however.</p>

<p>the REAL problem is that the cat isn't getting along with me! i take frequent trips downstairs, and see it in the SAME position in the SAME spot. it hasn't eaten anything (im starting to get a little worried..) and whenever anyone gets close, it starts hissing and extending its paws. nikki doesn't have any claws (only claws on her hind legs), so she can't scratch, but there's absolutely NO interaction whatsoever.</p>

<p>i gave nikki one of my tiger stuffed animals to play with, and i swear she hasn't touched it, but i did see her bite it. anytime i get near her, she gets defensive. it's not like i'm going to hurt it, jeez! (but i don't know if my mom did- she CLAIMS that she attempted to throw two of my SAT books at nikki, but chances are she said that just to express her resentment against pets in a more dramatic way)</p>

<p>the cat is black and white, a little fat (which makes it so cute). i just want to hug it and pet it all day while its relaxing in my lap (lol XD), but obviously, the cat refuses to trust me or my family...</p>

<p>any advice? it would be appreciated! =D</p>

2

<p>Cats can be strange little things; one of my mom's acts exactly the way yours does (always hunkered down or hiding, vaguely hostile, never seems to eat), and she's lived with us for a year and a half - yet when she lived with her former owner, she was an angel. This is a probable summary of what's wrong with the cat:
1) Cats often don't like new people and will continue to not like them long after they've stopped being new.
2) Cats are not pack animals and don't have the same social requirements that humans and dogs have.
3) Cats will often do things as they please for no reason apparent to us. </p>

<p>Also keep in mind that your want to "hug it and pet it all day while its relaxing in my lap" requires entirely unnatural behavior from the cat (putting itself at the mercy of a much bigger creature) and that not all cats enjoy being petted even by their owners, let alone complete strangers. Leave the cat alone; it's not gonna happen.</p>

<p>Edit: I bet that the cat isn't spayed; unspayed female cats tend to be less friendly than spayed ones.</p>

3

<p>Find a comfortable place, either a chair or the bottom step and study for your SAT's or read a book. Ignore Nikki. If she walks up to you, let her sniff you. Don't pet her until she decides to sit next to you. I know that sounds counter intuitive, but cats actually prefer to get to know you on their own terms. This may take a long time, but if you are patient, I think you and Nikki will be good friends!!! Good Luck!!!</p>

4

<p>I hate cats and I'm so allergic that if I even think about one my eyeballs swell up and explode.</p>

5

<p>I hate cats so much. They're so self centered and egotistical. </p>

<p>One time, my now-ex-girlfriend's cat assaulted me by jumping from a bookshelf unto my face. It scratched me and left a scar that took half a year to disappear. </p>

<p>I hate cats.</p>

6

<p>Dogs > Cats.</p>

<p>Hell, goldfishes/iguanas/tropical zebras from savannas > cats.</p>

7

<p>My cat likes to beat up dogs and kill animals smaller than him. He's pretty fat so I don't know how he's so fast.</p>

<p>Better than that annoying stray dog that ran away 2 months after we adopted him.</p>

8

<p>I hate cats. Came into my back yard and slaughtered all my hamsters except one. All 12 of them.</p>

9

<p>I love that I turned this into a "I hate cats and here's why" thread.
But I still hate cats.</p>

10

<p>All the dog owners in my neighborhood try to avoid my cat. Since we live in a cul-de-sac street, I hardly see them anymore. My cat controls quite a bit of territory since he always stays outside. There are about 3 other cats that stay outside on my street. My cat's the only fat one.</p>

<p>Cats pwn. Some of my neighbors have been complaining about seeing mice in their garages. My main complaint is seeing mutilated mouse bodies in my front door.</p>

11

<p>hahah thanks for the tips karajanhra and hamptomjp</p>

<p>and you guys!! this isn't a dog vs cat debate!! i love cats, and i think their egotistical self is actually pretty appealing, lol</p>

<p>i pretended to sleep on the couch in the basement and that made the cat put its defenses down and move around. ughh!! i wish it gets used to me before we have to give her back!</p>

12

<p>Cats are the scum of the earth. Harsh, but true.</p>

13

<p>^ never. cats > dogs</p>

<p>i think cats are much more composed, elegant (which is where their arrogance comes from- oh well), and clean.</p>

<p>dogs bark, are so rude, go crazy, aren't clean, and i can't stand them!</p>

<p>lol..............my .02 cents...</p>

14

<p>
[quote]
^ never. cats > dogs</p>

<p>i think cats are much more composed, elegant (which is where their arrogance comes from- oh well), and clean.</p>

<p>dogs bark, are so rude, go crazy, aren't clean, and i can't stand them!

[/quote]

:rolleyes:</p>

<p>How'd I just know this was coming up? x.X</p>

15

<p>im going to visit nikki right nowwwww~</p>

<p>wish me luck (:</p>

16

<p>I think... dogs > cats > humans...</p>

<p>But back to the OP, you have to let the cat get used to you. Imagine if you were taken from your parents, thrown into a strange basement with people you don't know! You'd be a little scared too. Go downstairs and stay there until the cat gets used to you. It literally might take a day or two of full time being there but eventually the cat will warm up to you. Also, leave wet food (like the canned kind) in a bowl near her just so that she doesn't starve. The canned food is generally more enticing then the dry kind.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

17

<p>me too. I HATE CATS. I wanna throw stuff at them. but I like dogs- especially BIG dogs. and not all dogs are loud, some of them are quiet and most are really friendly unlike cats. Cats always bring dead things into the house and did you know their **** and poop smell especially horrible?</p>

18

<p>well, last time i saw Nikki, she was just hiding under one of the beds we have downstairs..</p>

<p>she always looks for opportunities to scratch me though, even though she has no front claws. and when she grumbles, it sounds like a machine. she also constantly opens her mouth as if to show her teeth</p>

<p>jeez...lol</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
But back to the OP, you have to let the cat get used to you. Imagine if you were taken from your parents, thrown into a strange basement with people you don't know! You'd be a little scared too. Go downstairs and stay there until the cat gets used to you. It literally might take a day or two of full time being there but eventually the cat will warm up to you. Also, leave wet food (like the canned kind) in a bowl near her just so that she doesn't starve. The canned food is generally more enticing then the dry kind.

[/quote]

Wow. I read this and then I had to read it again, Lol. I was like, "What"?</p>

<p>;)</p>